More IP traffic over the next five years than the entire history of the internet

More humans and more smart devices will generate huge swathes of data.

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We are about to witness unprecedented levels of internet traffic in the next five years, according to predictions from Cisco.

Using its new Visual Networking Index (VNI), Cisco believes that by 2022, we will have transferred more than 4.7 zettabytes of IP traffic - more than all of the traffic seen since internet’s inception in 1984 until today.

Cisco says this explosion of traffic is due to a number of reasons, first being that the majority of the human population (60 per cent) will be online. Another important thing to consider is the fact that smart objects, the Internet of Things, will also generate huge piles of data, creating more than 28 billion devices and connections.

Video will make up 82 per cent of all IP traffic.

“The size and complexity of the internet continues to grow in ways that many could not have imagined. Since we first started the VNI Forecast in 2005, traffic has increased 56-fold, amassing a 36 percent CAGR with more people, devices and applications accessing IP networks,” said Jonathan Davidson, senior vice president and general manager, Service Provider Business, Cisco.

“Global service providers are focused on transforming their networks to better manage and route traffic, while delivering premium experiences. Our ongoing research helps us gain and share valuable insights into technology and architectural transitions our customers must make to succeed.”